Certificate of insurance (school bus)

Definition

The filed proof of coverage that names the owner, the operator and the school board at once.

Why It Matters

The federal safety rules exempt school bus operations outright, so the money floor is a state one and it attaches to the VEHICLE, not to the company: no motor vehicle may be used as a school bus unless a policy is maintained on it. Wisconsin sets $75,000 for each person and scales the per-accident limit by seating capacity, from $150,000 at seven seats or fewer to $1,000,000 at thirty-seven or more, and the state will not issue plates for a bus without the certificate on file and revokes registration the day a policy is cancelled. Read the fleet's certificates against the seat counts before pricing an older large bus, because the coverage moves with capacity.